1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer case and power supply unit, more specifically, the invention relate to monitor method and device for computer case and power supply unit.
2. Description of Prior Art
Case is an important component for a computer device; the most common cases are, for example, ATX and BTX. However, cases for server are always bigger, and generate more heat. Computer cases commonly cool down by fans. One of the components inside the cases is power supply unit, it supplies computer with 220V/110V AC. Since the power supply unit generates lots of heat while working, it is provided with a fan also. Fans for computer case and power supply unit may be directly connected to the connection head of the fan on the mainboard. Although the speed of fans may be adjusted, however, it is not a close loop, the speed of fan is not associated with the temperature, and the number of fans cannot be increased.
Currently, computer mainboards are provided with auto monitor circuit to monitor the operation status in real time, for example, voltage, CPU temperature, CPU fan speed etc, the monitor chip is provided with A/D converter and I/O interface, further, many components have system management bus (SMBus). While the computer is in operation, monitor circuit adjusts the fan speed according to CPU temperature, that is, if the temperature decreases, the fan speed decreases, and the fan speed increases while the temperature increased. Thus to reduce the noise generated by the fan, save the power, increase the life of the fan, and to insure the computer case and power supply unit working efficiently.
SMBus is the serial communication bus between chips that provided by Intel, it comprises a data line SMBDAT and clock line SMBCLK, each bus component is provided with an address, may figure a peripheral extension conveniently. One of the features of SMBus is, bus interfaces are integrated in components, and no addition bus interface needed, that is, plug and play. All the peripheral components with SMBus interfaces have the function of answering, it is commonly employed in computers, for example, south bridge chip series of Intel, such as ICH4, ICH5, ICH6 (I/O Controller HUB 6), or south bridge chip series VIA8233, AMD768 that compatible with Intel, may communicate with other devices by SMBus. SMBus is provided to many other electronic devices also. All of PCI Express criterion, PCI criterion (after PCI2.3), PCI-X criterion and CNR criterion of computer are support SMBus.
The I2C bus developed by Philips has standard criterion and many peripheral devices are provided with I2C interface, the features of I2C is independence in structure and convenience in usage. Many I2C bus components are compatible with SMBus, and most of them can directly use on SMBus.
In spite of the development as described above, the monitor for devices in computer cases nowadays is limited in the monitor circuits on the main board. There is no monitor of other devices in the computer case, for example, many fans for case and fans for power supply unit cannot adjust speed. The temperature of cases and devices in power supply unit is not associated with fan speed. As the fan is always working in full speed, noise is generated, and the working status cannot be monitored.